Scott McKenna has helped Nottingham Forest end a 23-year absence from the Premier League – and earned his old club Aberdeen a £1million windfall in the process.
The former Don is heading for the top flight of English football after Forest beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 in the English Championship play-off final at Wembley.
More than 80,000 fans packed Wembley for the big game which was settled in Nottingham Forest’s favour by Levi Colwill’s own goal in the first half.
The windfall was included as part of the deal which took 25 year-old Scotland international defender McKenna to the City Ground in 2020 in a £3million deal.
There are further add-ons depending on appearances McKenna makes in the top flight of English football while the Dons are also due a percentage of any fee if the centre-half is sold.
Forest will regard the Dons’ bonus payment as money well spent after McKenna’s role in securing their return to the Premier League for the first time since 1999.
The play-off final at Wembley is one of the biggest games in football with a solitary season in the Premier League worth a minimum of £90million in broadcast income alone.
Parachute payments of almost £80million, spread over two seasons, is also payable if a promoted club drops straight back down a division.
Sports business analysts Deloitte estimates securing survival in the first season for a promoted Championship club is worth in the region of £300 million over a five-year period.